The Devil And Daniel Webster
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Devil and Daniel Webster
  • Benet's Twain-Like Take: Is Lucifer a Foreigner?
  • a worthy legend for America and for Webster
  • Great Piece of American Literature
  • Great Stories
The Devil And Daniel Webster
Stephen Vincent Venet
Manufacturer: Dramatists Play Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822203030

Book Description

A spirited selection from one of the most highly prized American writers of the twentieth century

Before his premature death in 1943, Stephen Vincent Benet was one of America's most prolific poets, novelists, and short-story writers. He is also, along with Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, and Robert Penn Warren, the only author to receive two Pulitzer prizes for his poetry. Featured in this anthology of his writings is a generous selection of his verse, anchored by his two Pulitzer Prize- winning poems, John Brown's Body and Western Star. Hailed by the New York Times as "an American Iliad," John Brown's Body (1929) is an epic chronicle of the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to General Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

Through a versatile array of masterly short stories, Benet explored such subjects as American society, history, politics, and the supernatural. Among the two dozen stories selected for this volume are the haunting title story and the wrenching "A Death in the Country." A final section representing Bent's nonfiction collects several of his penetrating essays on writing and education, including "Most Unforgettable Character I've Known." Sensitively selected and thoughtfully arranged, this vibrant anthology will reintroduce readers to an American master.

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars The Devil and Daniel Webster.......2006-03-20

This book was not what I wanted or expected. I was looking for the short story. What I got was a play.
What I was looking for was a small booklet with just one or 2 short stories in it including "The Devil and Daniel Webster. I did not want a huge book as I was just going to use the one Benet story in my class. I returned all the copies I purchased and was satisified with the quick action taken. The next time I am looking for something I will check with Amazon again.

4 out of 5 stars Benet's Twain-Like Take: Is Lucifer a Foreigner?.......2003-06-05

This lightweight (literally, if not figuratively) story of the hapless farmer Jabez Stone, of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, and his rescue from a cavalier deal with the devil by Daniel Webster is an entertaining, patriotic lark. Although Webster was a lawyer, the narrator tells us, and the "the biggest man...next to God...He never got to be President." Published in 1937, and with a homespun Twain-like love of freedom and the wry vigilance which watches over it, Stephen Vincent Benet's entertaining lark, set "in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire" is patriotic without being jingoistic or nationalistic. At the end, after the narrator informs us that devil keeps clear of Marshfield and hasn't been seen in New Hampshire he concludes: "I'm not talking about Massachusetts or Vermont."

5 out of 5 stars a worthy legend for America and for Webster.......2002-05-17

A young nation, built on reason and skepticism, America doesn't have a whole lot of myths and legends. With the possible exception of Parson Weem's tales of
young George Washington, the stories of Washington Irving, and a few tall tales like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and John Henry, the best might be found in Stephen
Vincent Benet's Faust-influenced but distinctly American short story and screenplay, The Devil and Daniel Webster, which has also been adapted for the stage and
turned into an opera.

Jabez Stone of Cross Corners, New Hampshire is a man of little luck, until, with his wife and children ill and a whitlow on his own thumb, he barks :

I vow it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devill And I would, too, for two cents!

With that, a stranger appears and Jabez makes a deal, signing it in blood, which changes his luck drastically.

Over the next ten years, Stone prospers, becoming wealthy and an important man in politics. But with his mortgage to the stranger coming due, Jabez Stone regrets
the deal he's made and pays a visit to his neighbor, Daniel Webster, of Mansfield, NH--the nation's greatest lawyer and New England's most revered citizen--to see
if Mr. Webster will take him on as a client and see if there's not some way out of the deal. A lesser man might balk at the prospect of such a fight, but Daniel
Webster has a special regard for his constituents and cheerfully assures Jabez that they'll prevail :

For if two New Hampshiremen aren't a match for the devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians.

Webster's first ploy is to challenge the stranger's right to prey upon Americans :

'Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince. We fought England for that
in ë12 and weíll fight all hell for it again!'

'Foreign?' said the stranger. 'And who calls me a foreigner?'

'Well, I never yet heard of the dev -- of your claiming American citizenship,' said Dan'l Webster with surprise.

'And who with better right?' said the stranger, with one of his terrible smiles. 'When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there.
When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck. Am I not in your books and stories and beliefs, from the first settlements on?
Am I not spoken of, still, in every church in New England? 'Tis true the North claims me for a Southerner, and the South for a Northerner,
but I am neither. I am merely an honest American like yourself--and of the best descent--for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster,
though I don't like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours.'

This prompts Webster to recourse to Stone's rights as an American :

'Aha!' said Dan'l Webster, with the veins standing out in his forehead. 'Then I stand on the Constitution! I demand a trial for my client!'

'The case is hardly one for an ordinary court,' said the stranger, his eyes flickering. 'And, indeed, the lateness of the hour-'

'Let it be any court you choose, so it is an American judge and an American jury!' said Dan'l Webster in his pride.
'Let it be the quick or the dead; I'll abide the issue!'

And so begins a trial, presided over by Justice Hathorne, who likewise oversaw the Salem Witch Trials, with a jury made up of the likes of Walter Butler, Simon
Girty, King Philip, Reverend John Smeet, and Morton of Merry Mount. Inevitably, even these dastards are swayed by the rhetorical power of Daniel Webster and
Jabez is released from his contract. The stranger good-naturedly conceding :

'Perhaps 'tis not strictly in accordance with the evidence,' he said, 'but even the damned may salute the eloquence of Mr. Webster.'

Despite this graciousness, Daniel Webster grabs and threatens him, but then relents to his pleading. In exchange for being let go, the stranger predicts Webster's
future for him. The stranger well knows of Webster's desire to be president one day and of his pride in his speaking ability. He warns that the dream will never come
true and, perversely, the ambition will be thwarted by Webster's own talent :

'[T]he last great speech you make will turn many of your own against you,' said the stranger. 'They will call you Ichabod; they will call you
by other names. Even in New England some will say you have turned your coat and sold your country, and their voices will be loud against
you till you die.'

Webster takes the news surpassing well and in turn receives an assurance :

'So it is an honest speech, it does not matter what men say,' said Dan'l Webster. Then he looked at the stranger and their glances locked.

'One question,' he said. 'I have fought for the Union all my life. Will I see that fight won against those who would tear it apart?'

'Not while you live,' said the stranger, grimly, 'but it will be won. And after you are dead, there are thousands who will fight for your cause,
because of words that you spoke."

'Why, then, you long-barreled, slab-sided, lantern-jawed, fortune-telling note shaver!' said Dan'l Webster, with a great roar of laughter,
'be off with you to your own place before I put my mark on you! For, by the thirteen original colonies, I'd go to the Pit itself to save the Union!'

Sure enough, Webster's great speech in favor of the Missouri Compromise in 1850 would ensure its passage but with its provision for admitting a new slave state to
the Union would make him anathema to hardcore abolitionists and doom his presidential hopes.

Benet helped adapt this story for the screen and it made for one of the really underrated great American films. With sterling performances by Edward Arnold as
Webster and Walter Huston as the stranger, here called Mr. Scratch, the middle portion of the story, detailing Jabez Stone's rising fortunes and declining character,
is greatly expanded. This is problematic because James Craig as Jabez is pretty nondescript, but Jane Darwell as his mother and Simone Simon as a sultry vixen who
becomes the Stone's housemaid help to carry us through until the trial starts.

One interesting aspect of Benet's tale is his refusal to let his countrymen off the hook; the Devil is obviously integral to the American experience and though Webster
matches the Devil in the end, he too hears the siren call of Mr. Scratch. In the end though Webster is redeemed by his all consuming love of the nation :

And they say that if you go to his grave and speak loud and clear, 'Dan'l Webster--Dan'l Webster!' the ground'll begin to shiver and the trees
begin to shake. And after a while you'll hear a deep voice saying. 'Neighbor, how stands the Union?' Then you better answer the Union stands
as she stood, rock-bottomed and copper-sheathed, one and indivisible, or he's liable to rear right out of the ground.

What a worthy legend for America and for one of the greatest of her citizens.

GRADE : A

5 out of 5 stars Great Piece of American Literature.......2002-04-24

Daniel Webster might be a Yankee New Englander, a politician and peddlar. This fictious short story by Stephen Benet utilizes a great American statesmen in a great legal case, albeit a fictious one. I first read this in the 8th grade for a book report. It stands out as an entertaining classic of American literature. I also recommend books by James Fennimore Cooper.

5 out of 5 stars Great Stories.......2001-06-25

This book is incredibly hard to find---Amazon was, as, usual, the only place that had it for me. I was dying to read the story that sparked the movie, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." About seven mountain men who go down to town to git themselves thar brides! I really enjoyed Benet's style; I was completely unfamiliar with his writing previously. I also read "The Devil and Daniel Webster," included, which seems to be the most popular of his writings. It was a good tale. Interesting author, interesting writings. I'm donating my copy to the library; their Benet listings are sadly lacking! Everyone needs a little "backwoodsman" in their lives!
Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories
    Stephen Vincent Benet
    Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    TeensTeens | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Health, Mind & Body | History & Historical Fiction | Horror | Literature & Fiction | Manga | Mysteries | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | School & Sports | Science & Technology | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Series | Social Issues
    ASIN: 0671428896
    The Devil and Daniel Webster
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Devil and Daniel Webster
      Stephen Vincent Benet
      Manufacturer: Farrar & Rinehart
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover
      ASIN: B000B86AZA

      Product Description

      First page: "It's a story they tell in the Border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. Yes, Dan'l Webster's dead-or, at least, they buried him. But every time there's a thunderstorm around Marshfield, they say you can hear his rolling voice in the hollows of the sky. And they say that if you go to his garve and speak loud and clear, "Dan'l Webster-Dan'l Webster!" the ground'll shiver and the trees begin to shake. And after a while you'll hear a deep voice saying, "Neighbor, how stands the Union?".....
      "A Christmas Carol" & "The Devil and Daniel Webster" Performed By Knxr Radio Theater
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        "A Christmas Carol" & "The Devil and Daniel Webster" Performed By Knxr Radio Theater

        Manufacturer: KNXR Radio, Rochester MN
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Audio Cassette
        ASIN: B000GYXSM2

        Product Description

        2 tapes.
        Devil & Daniel Webster
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Devil & Daniel Webster
          Stephen V Benet
          Manufacturer: ARCHWAY PRESS
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: B000WDUZTQ
          The Devil & Daniel Webster
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Devil & Daniel Webster
            Benet Stephen Vincent
            Manufacturer: Kingsport Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000UDXY7S
            The Devil and Daniel Webster
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              The Devil and Daniel Webster
              Douglas MOORE
              Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000MXE72W
              The Devil and Daniel Webster
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                The Devil and Daniel Webster
                Benet & Denison
                Manufacturer: Farrar & Rinehart
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover
                ASIN: B000ME3PNI
                THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER AND OTHER STORIES
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER AND OTHER STORIES
                  STEPHEN VINCENT BENET
                  Manufacturer: ARCHWAY
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: 0671299433

                  Product Description

                  SHORT STORIES
                  The Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    The Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories
                    Stephen Vincent Benet
                    Manufacturer: Archway
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                    ASIN: 0671297279

                    Last of the Wilds: Age of the Five Trilogy Book 2 (Age of the Five Trilogy)
                    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                    • Better than the first, looking forward to the third
                    • Simply wonderful
                    • Hydroslider
                    • Much better!
                    • Two good books in a row
                    Last of the Wilds: Age of the Five Trilogy Book 2 (Age of the Five Trilogy)
                    Trudi Canavan
                    Manufacturer: Eos
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

                    GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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                    3. The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3) The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3)
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                    5. The Magicians' Guild (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 1) The Magicians' Guild (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 1)

                    ASIN: 0060815914
                    Release Date: 2006-04-25

                    Book Description

                    After pitched battle, The White—the avatars of the Five Gods—have briefly turned back the vicious invaders. And now, the priestess Auraya is sent on an urgent mission to reconcile with the powerful, outcast Dreamweavers, for their magical healing abilities may be the key to saving the land. But as a deadly plague devastates their allies and old adversaries resurface, a dreadful surprise may ruin the chance for peace. For Auraya's terrible discovery will force her into a desperate choice—one whose consequences will change the world forever.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    4 out of 5 stars Better than the first, looking forward to the third.......2006-12-29

                    Canavan delivers a good middle book here. The plotlines with the Pentadrians and Elai are somewhat disappointing; the real story is what's going on with the gods and the immortals. What to the gods have against the Wilds? Where did the gods come from? What are they planning? How much of what's going on are they aware of? There's clearly a much larger story going on here than the base plot of the Circlian/Pentadrian conflict. I'm waiting anxiously for the grand design to be revealed in the third book. Hopefully she'll do a better job of wrapping it all up than Brin did with the "Startide Rising" series.

                    5 out of 5 stars Simply wonderful.......2006-10-06

                    This was the first book by this author that I've read. I loved it and rushed out to pickup Book 1 and preordered Book 3. Highly recommended read.

                    5 out of 5 stars Hydroslider.......2006-06-06

                    This book is amazing! Trudi Canavan has truly evolved in her writing since her "Black Magician" trilogy. It picks up just days, if barely weeks, after the first book (I took my time to read this book to keep myself in suspense ha ha), so some of the characters in the book stay, but we change focus so can we get to become familiar with newer people as well as those met briefly in the first book (such as the Elai). The book is easy to follow and so much fun to imagine yourself in! Just make sure you read the first book, "Priestess of the White" before starting on "Last of the Wilds"! I cannot wait until the third book comes out! Also recommend reading the "Black Magician" trilogy by the same author if looking for books to pass time until the third comes out!

                    4 out of 5 stars Much better!.......2006-06-05

                    After reading this book, I thought, finally! This is Trudi Canavan as I remember her from her first trilogy.

                    "Last of the Wilds" is a middle book, but in many ways is stronger than its predecessor, "Priestess of the White." In this book, the storylines for all the main character groups (the White, especially Auraya, the Pentadrians, the Wilds, the Elai and the Siyee) get more interesting. There is depth to each of the individual plots and the author sets up a complex and intriguing political scene for the third book.

                    One of Canavan's strengths is her ability to show all sides of the story, much like another favorite author of mine, Hilari Bell. By this I mean, the "bad guys" aren't necessarily bad, and the "good guys" may have questionable motives and actions too.

                    Whereas "Priestess" felt very linear (all Pentadrians are evil, all Circlians are good and just being vicitmized by the bad Pentadrians), "Last of the Wilds" delves deeper into the motives and thoughts behind the character groups' behavior. Both sides feel that they are "correct" and are trying to spread their influence, either through war, alliances, or whatever. I actually liked the Pentadrians in this book, because the author showed why and what they were trying to do. Meanwhile, I found myself not feeling kindly toward the Whites, because they seemed to lack compassion and fairness.

                    Then you've got the other major group, the Wilds, which are literally a wild card in the book. Emerahl runs off to find other people like her - with an unclear goal in mind, but it is fascinating to speculate what the author might do with this group in the third book. With their knowledge of what used to be, they might upset the balance and cause a completely different society to emerge. They already do upset the balance when Auraya discovers something shocking about one of them - forcing her to make a hard and surprising decision that makes you anxious to read the conclusion in the third book.

                    Overall, a MUCH BETTER book than the first one and well worth the time to read. I am definitely looking forward to the last book in the trilogy.

                    5 out of 5 stars Two good books in a row.......2006-05-09

                    "Last of the Wilds" is the second book of Trudi Canavan's second trilogy, the first being The Black Magician Trilogy. Although all of the living characters are still present in this book, the focus shifts from the Dreamweavers and the White to some of the other characters and characters sets. The Siyee are once again used as a culture bridge. Added to the mix are the Siyee's water bound cousin's the Elai (met briefly by Auraya in the first book). The Wilds, or unpredictable sorcerers, are of much interest. These long-lived or immortal characters (like Mirar and Emerahl), remember the history of the five Circlian Gods. Additionally, focus shifts to give the reader a better view of the foes from "Priestess of the White," the Pentadrians. We get a better look into the religion of the Pentadrians, their social structure, their mysterious five gods who rarely show themselves, and their continuing plans to spread their religion. I recommend this book. Be warned that it is Canavan's heftiest book yet, 555 pages and might not appeal to some readers because of this. I hope the conclusion of the series doesn't disapoint like the final epilogue of Black Magician.

                    The Hollow Earth: The Narrative of Mason Algiers Reynolds of Virginia
                    Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
                    • Excellent Read.
                    • Very amusing for Poe fans-- imaginative and fun.
                    • For the love of god, avoid this book.
                    The Hollow Earth: The Narrative of Mason Algiers Reynolds of Virginia
                    Rudy Rucker
                    Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                    ASIN: 0380755351

                    Customer Reviews:

                    4 out of 5 stars Excellent Read........2004-11-24

                    Being a huge fan of Poe, I really enjoyed this book. This is the only book of Rucker I have read, so I cannot compare it to his other writings, but I thought the book was great. It provides a fantastic escape into another world!

                    4 out of 5 stars Very amusing for Poe fans-- imaginative and fun........2000-06-24

                    Like the reviewer below, I've read almost all of Rucker's work, including his short-story output, which is excellent. Unlike him, I really enjoyed this book. Poe fans and lit majors will get a kick out of it, and casual readers of SF will enjoy it as well. Perhaps not as good as the Software/Wetware/Freeware novels, but very enjoyable, and on a par with White Light and Secret of Life.

                    1 out of 5 stars For the love of god, avoid this book........2000-06-17

                    First, I have to say that I'm a long running fan of Rudy Rucker, and have read every book he's written, fiction and non-fiction. To this day, Software, Wetware, and Freeware reign as three of my favorite books. I read (though struggled would be a better word) through this book, forever keeping an open mind, hoping that it would get better, but could only come to the conclusion that this is a bad book. It's vaguely interesting at points, and Edgar Allan Poe being one of the main characters is kind of fun, but overall, it's a childish, boring, and uninteresting pile of trash. Seriously. If you see it, burn it. If you have already read this book, please don't let it deter you from his other works, such as "Software", "Wetware", "Freeware", and "Hacker and the ants". It pains me to think that Mr. Rucker wrote a book as bad as this.

                    Fast Lane to Heaven: Celestial Encounters that Changed My Life
                    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                    • Another Good NDE Book
                    • Changing your life can be difficult, even after an NDE
                    • Not ONLY did his book foretell 9/11...
                    • My Fav. NDE Books - I've Been There Too
                    • Incredible, Amazing Near Death Experience
                    Fast Lane to Heaven: Celestial Encounters that Changed My Life
                    Ned Dougherty
                    Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Company
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover

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                    ASIN: 157174200X

                    Amazon.com

                    Ned Dougherty, author of Fast Lane to Heaven, almost died at the age of 37--an experience that ultimately saved his life. Before he collapsed on the cement outside of his nightclub in the Hamptons of New York, he was leading a hedonistic lifestyle of heavy drinking and short-term relationships with women half his age. Then, one day after fighting with his business partner, Dougherty felt his chest tighten and suddenly he was unable to breathe. "My sense of hearing turned inward, and I was listening for sounds from my now silent lungs, which seemed to have collapsed," he recalls in his characteristic gripping narration. "For a long, pregnant moment, everything before me stood still. I was dying and I knew it. In a split second, I thought: This is it! This is how it all ends! Suddenly, I felt what seemed like an electrical explosion in my head, and my body collapsed to the sidewalk." As an ambulance crew valiantly tried to resuscitate him, Dougherty shifted in and out of his body. Finally, he felt his spirit lift out of the ambulance and he was left standing before a tunnel that curled like an ocean wave and "stretched directly in the heavens." From there he entered a "life review process" in Heaven that forced him to reckon with his past as well as the life he created in the present. Nothing was the same after that.

                    Readers can't help but like Dougherty. He's brutally honest about his character flaws and alcoholism, so when redemption comes, it's all the sweeter. (And it isn't instant--he has to return to a few years of hard lessons before the benefits of the near-death experience truly take hold.) Count on an exceptionally smooth read with an endearing narrator who offers classic, yet unique encounters with life and death. --Gail Hudson

                    Book Description

                    Ned Dougherty lived a life that anyone searching for power and material wealth would deem successful - until the 1984 incident that caused his death. While medical personnel struggled to restart his silent heart, Dougherty left his body and experienced a series of events so vivid and unusual that they profoundly changed the rest of his life. The experience opened th door to encounters with various aspects of the divine spirit, including the "Lady of Light," a being Dougherty later clearly identifies as the Virgin Mary. To Dougherty and others who have experienced her presence, the Lady is both guide and teacher, fostering spiritual advancement and sharing the Creator's plan for humankind.

                    - From a featured speaker, former director, and media spokesperson for the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and founder of the non-profit oragnization Mission of Angels

                    - Describes the experience that made a wealthy businessman abandon power, drug addiction, and dangerous moneymaking schemes for a life of spiritual purpose

                    - A vivid look at the "Other Side" - firthand knowledge for anyone who plans on dying

                    - A powerful lesson in overcoming personal obstacles such as addiction, apathy, and fear

                    - Describes a series of life-changing encounters with the Virgin Mary - a complement to the surprising number of Marian expericences occuring in recent years

                    Customer Reviews:

                    5 out of 5 stars Another Good NDE Book.......2005-05-28

                    In the last few years, I have read many books on the topic of near death experiences (NDE's), and I have yet to tire from reading about the wonderful journeys these people have experienced.

                    This particular book is about a man who took a wrong turn during his life, and wound up being an alcoholic club owner who was dabbling in drugs and had some pretty shady characters as friends. After a violent fight with one of these "friends", he started to not feel right, and within a few minutes he was dead.

                    The book then goes on to describe the experiences he had while clinically dead, how he was treated by the medical profession after he was brought back to life, and how this experienced impacted his life.

                    I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's had an NDE and is looking to hear of other's experiences, as well as those who are just plain interested in this topic.

                    4 out of 5 stars Changing your life can be difficult, even after an NDE.......2005-01-27

                    This is a story of an NDE that happened to a very worldly human being who struggled with the clear message of the NDE for a long time after returning to this world before finally accepting it. Strangely, to me at least, this makes Dougherty's account quite believable and entertaining. Dougherty claims that his NDE immediately affected his life profoundly and turned him into a more loving and less worldly human being. Reading between the lines of Dougherty's book, it's clear that although Dougherty's heart may have been changed, Dougherty still struggled to abandon his old way of life for a long time after his NDE. Despite the change in Dougherty, he clung to his old Nightclub business until it was taken away from him. But eventually he embraced the message from his NDE and changed the focus of his life. The message that I took from Dougherty's book was that even when your heart changes, it can take a lot longer to turn your life's focus around. Dougherty's book inspires you to have hope, don't give up on the changes you want to make, and take heart, sometimes it takes a lot longer to change yourself than you think it will. I like this book and recommend it. As for his predictions and prophecies, they are neither convincing (just a little too unclear) nor unconvincing. If you are looking for miraculous predictions to convince you of the veracity of NDEs, then you are missing the most important content in virtually every NDE.

                    5 out of 5 stars Not ONLY did his book foretell 9/11..........2005-01-12

                    Interestingly enough, he also wrote in his book that "the Lady of light" told him that there would tidal waves and earthquakes and a shifting of the earth on its axis. AND, he wrote that She also revealed that there would be man-made castastrophes in: The Middle East (W's war to vindicate pappy), then in Europe (Madrid train bombing), then in Africa (Egyptian hotel bombing), then in Russia (school murders).

                    In the very same order as these tragedies occurred.

                    Next on the list?


                    China.

                    3 out of 5 stars My Fav. NDE Books - I've Been There Too.......2004-01-01

                    One day in 1995 I died, and had a NDE. Ever since then, I've been reading everything I can on the subject. According to most stories I've read, I had an unusual one, not going down a tunnel, but experiencing many interesting phenomena all the same. It seems to me that there are some NDE books and magazine articles that are just hype, and published just to give recognition. I have found, through my many years and multitudes of books on the subject, that there is an underlining truth and spirit that pervades the true experiences. So, I have compiled a list of my best reads for NDE books - ones that I consider genuine and adding validating light to the personal NDE experience. I have left out compilations, these are personal narratives. I hope you enjoy them too.
                    Embraced by the Light ------by Betty J. Eadie
                    Psychic Gifts ---------by Tiffany Snow
                    Saved by the Light --------by Dannion Brinkley
                    4 Days in Eternity ---------by Wayne F.A. Marentette
                    After the Light -------------by Kimberly Clark Sharp

                    5 out of 5 stars Incredible, Amazing Near Death Experience.......2003-08-04

                    Ned Dougherty's Fast Lane to Heaven, is an incredible tale of one man's transformation after his near death experience. Similar to Betty Eadie's and Dannion Brinkley's vivid recalls of their NDEs, Dougherty is also able to recall with vivid clarity his journey and all that was shown to him.

                    Dougherty was living the hedonistic, fast lane of life, with homes in both The Hamptons, and West Palm Beach, driving expensive cars, having many expensive toys, and operating two thriving nightclubs. Alcohol was his admitted drug of choice, and cocaine use was intermittently part of his lifestyle, as were meaningless relationships with meaningless beautiful women.

                    After suffering an apparent heart attack, Dougherty realized that he was no longer "in his body", and was met by a former friend who "died" in Vietnam. Dougherty recalls in stunning detail his life review, future life events, future world events, including the 9-11 attacks on New York and Washington, his meetings with The Lady of The Light, God, and other spiritual beings. Because Dougherty's life's mission is not yet completed on earth, he is told he must go back.

                    Needless to say, Dougherty's life is forever transformed after his heavenly encounters, and amazingly, the doctors could not find anything physically wrong with him - all of his medical tests were normal. Yet Dougherty knew that he had died, but all of the doctors could not find anything indicating a heart attack.

                    As foretold to Dougherty, he indeed turned his life around, and is no longer living a hedonistic, fast lifestyle, but a more spiritual, contemplative one, which includes hospice volunteering, as well as forming his Angels of Mercy organization which provides miracles to those in need. He is still visited by The Lady of The Light and his devotion and faith in God has deepened greatly.

                    I found this book truly amazing, and I have read all the NDE books that I can, and this account is one of the best. His honesty and admittances of his former lifestyle helped to portray him as he truly was/is. He was not portrayed as someone without any flaws, or perfect. I am sure that all readers can relate to his imperfections in one way or another. The reader can only "try" to relate to his struggles and difficulties in "trying" to live an earthly existence, after seeing and experiencing all that he had with his celestial encounters. Synchronistic encounters reaffirmed to Dougherty that all that happened did indeed happen. Events shown to him that would occur in his life happened not according to Dougherty's "trying" to make them happen, but instead they happened according to God's plan.

                    I have to disagree with the other reviewers, as I think that they tended to focus only the events which were predicted for 9/11 and entirely missed the messages contained within the book.

                    I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in NDEs. There is a most startling message in the book from Archangel Michael that was given to Dougherty, that is worth reading several times over. A message for us all.

                    This book is just another confirmation to us all that there is nothing to fear in dying, that we all are constantly guided and loved, and that we only have to ask for help from above. There is so much more to life than "toys" or material possessions and Dougherty proves that point very well.

                    This book's message is incredibly timely for what we are living though now and thank you Ned Dougherty for sharing your wonderful incredible experiences for us all.

                    Books:

                    1. The Doomsday Brunette
                    2. The Early Ayn Rand: Revised Edition: A Selection From Her Unpublished Fiction
                    3. The Fall of Yquatine (Doctor Who (BBC Paperback))
                    4. The Haunted Doll's House and Other Ghost Stories (The Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James, Vol. 2)
                    5. The Heartsong of Charging Elk: A Novel
                    6. The Journey of the Stone Man
                    7. The Last Samurai Official Movie Guide
                    8. The Linnet's Tale
                    9. The Lover's Path: An Illustrated Novel
                    10. The Noodle Maker: A Novel

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